Jose Bautista MLB 12 The Show Cover and Trailer

When you're a star player in the sports gaming arena like MLB: The Show, people have high expectations. You can't miss practice, you can't shy from the media, and you can't ever turn down an endorsement deal with MLB.com's Gameday tracker. It comes with the territory of being an All-Star.

But even though your last outing (as seen in our MLB 11: The Show review) is destined for your Hall of Fame induction highlight reel, the slippery slope to washed up is always lurking around the corner. The next home run is as important to your career as an enhanced bodybuilding supplement, and neither come easy these days. So for MLB 12: The Show, why not petition the help of a guy who knows a thing or two about home runs -- say, two-time incumbent MLB home runs leader Jose Bautista?

It appears as if that's exactly the approach Sony Computer Entertainment has decided to take by adding Bautista as a second cover athlete for MLB 12: The Show. The announcement was made that the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder -- who exploded on to the baseball scene in 2010 at the age of 29 -- would grace a separate cover of The Show for gamers living in Canada. He joins the American cover featuring Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Check it out (click for a better look) -- and try not to lose your balance:

SCEC General Manager, Stephen Turvey, praised Bautista and the new cover:

 “As we continue to deliver one of the most immersive baseball experiences on the market, we’re thrilled to have a player like Jose Bautista as the cover athlete for the Canadian edition of MLB 12 The Show. He had another stellar year at the plate in 2011 and we hope that 2012 proves to be an even bigger success for Jose, as well as MLB 12 The Show.”

Jose Bautista will join Adrian Gonzalez and other elite-caliber Major League Baseball players like Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, David Wright, and Dustin Pedroia as promoters of the upcoming game being developed by SCE San Diego. He took some time out of his off season to acknowledge the honor:

“Being named the cover athlete for the Canadian edition of MLB 12 The Show is an exciting honour for me. This is hands-down the best baseball game out there, which makes my inclusion as both cover athlete and an ambassador a very special one.”

As far as decisions go, this was a softball for Sony, but it's interesting that they didn't come out with the news earlier. Bautista is one among a handful of Major League hitters who turn every at bat into a must-see event. Canadians -- and more specifically, Torontoists -- are lucky to have him in their own back yard and will now certainly feel more attached to the game than if it had featured a Boston Red Sox rival.

If you want to see  MLB: 12 The Show and Jose Bautista in action, check out the new trailer below just released Sony, featuring the slugger frustrating pitchers across the league and rocking a sold-out Rogers Centre. Also, don't miss the previous trailer which teased the game's integration with the PlayStation Vita.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK4AbIwTB8Q&feature=player_embedded#!

Ranters, are you warming up for MLB 12: The Show? Does the announcement of Jose Bautista as the Canadian cover athlete pique your interest?

MLB 12: The Show comes out just in time for Spring Training on March 6, 2012, for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita

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